The Wind Is Not a
River is Brian Payton’s gripping tale of survival and an epic love story in
which a husband and wife—separated by the only battle of World War II to take
place on American soil—fight to reunite in Alaska’s starkly beautiful Aleutian
Islands.

Following the death of his younger brother in Europe,
journalist John Easley is determined to find meaning in his loss. Leaving
behind his beloved wife, Helen, he heads north to investigate the Japanese
invasion of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, a story censored by the US government.

While John is accompanying a crew on a bombing run, his
plane is shot down over the island of Attu. He survives only to find himself
exposed to a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, known as “the birthplace of
winds.” There, John must battle the elements, starvation, and his own remorse
while evading discovery by the Japanese.

Alone at home, Helen struggles with the burden of her
husband’s disappearance. Caught in extraordinary circumstances, in this new
world of the missing, she is forced to reimagine who she is—and what she is
capable of doing. Somehow, she must find John and bring him home, a quest that
takes her into the farthest reaches of the war, beyond the safety of everything
she knows.

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Quotes & Awards

“What a greathearted, beautifully written, and utterly riveting novel. The Wind Is Not a River has a power that brings to mind the old Greek stories of war, love, and journey.”

Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author

“In his
gripping, meditative second novel, Brian Payon explores this nearly forgotten
chapter of American history…The borders between ingenuity and insanity, honor,
and murder all blur as Easley comes face to face with the darkest parts of nature
in a place where ‘thin fog softens every edge and line.’”

New York Times Book Review

“Brian Payton’s remarkable novel is a tightly wound double helix: the gripping tale of a man struggling to save his own life entwined with the heartrending tale of a woman struggling to save her marriage. As both love story and war story, it is a revelation.”

Julia Glass, National Book Award–winning author

“A suspenseful, beautifully researched title that readers will want to devour in one sitting.”

“Payton, in the loveliest of prose, illuminates a little-known aspect of WWII while portraying a devoted couple who bravely face down the isolation, pain, and sacrifice of wartime.”

Booklist

“Through a narrative strategy that alternates chapters between John’s plight and Helen’s search, Payton effectively gives the reader two visions—and two versions—of a neglected aspect of World War II.”

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